Three employees at the Palm Beach County state attorney's office were taken to the hospital after they were exposed to a suspicious white powder found in an envelope addressed to state attorney Michael McAuliffe.

Shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday, firefighters and hazardous materials crews were called to the state attorney's office at 401 N. Dixie Highway after a suspicious white powder was discovered in the mail room.

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"Several employees were exposed to an unknown white substance," West Palm Beach spokesman Chase Scott said. "It was a powder contained in an envelope. Several of the employees complained of headaches."

Those exposed employees were in the mail room on the first floor of the building.

"The first floor area has not been evacuated," Scott said. "We want to keep it contained until we determine exactly what the substance was. The second floor has been evacuated in the state attorney's office."

Hazmat crews evacuated the second floor as a precaution because of a connecting air duct and concern about the possibility of the substance spreading.

The two women and one man who were exposed to the substance were undressed, decontaminated and given scrubs before being taken to Good Samaritan Medical Center.

Firefighters weren't certain if the employees' symptoms were related to their exposure.

"It can be, but it can also be just a psychosomatic response to it as well," West Palm Beach Emergency Management Director Allan Ortman said.

An emergency room doctor said their symptoms diminished after a second decontamination.

"One patient initially was very scared," Dr. George Gurdock said. "She was the one that had the initial contact with it, so (it was a) very anxiety-provoking experience at that time, but she feels fine now. I'm sure you'd be scared too if you opened up an envelope and there was some white powder in it from an unknown area."

A firefighter was also taken to the hospital, but his condition was related to cardiac issues and not because of any possible exposure.

"The field testing of the powder was inconclusive," Ortman said. "As a result, until we know definitively what it is, we're turning it over to the FBI for them to do their testing."